To What Extent Does Having a Growth Mindset Affect Independent Reading For First Grade Students?

Seminar Title

To What Extent Does Having a Growth Mindset Affect Independent Reading For First Grade Students?

Growth Mindset

1st Grade

Elementary

Reading

All Disciplines

Do you get frustrated when you see students with so much potential, but they lack drive or are afraid to fail so they avoid tasks that are challenging for them? Do you have students who simply do not believe they can get better at something so they do not put forth much effort? I found myself feeling this frustration often as a first grade teacher when my students would give up on a difficult task or they would ask for help before trying any problem-solving strategies. A couple years ago, I began to learn about Growth Mindset and the positive impact it can have on how we view challenges, failures, and perseverance. Learning how our brain can stretch and grow like a muscle with practice and effort has had positive effects on the success of many students of all ages. I began to wonder if teaching these things in my classroom could foster a growth mindset with my students. I became hopeful that I might see in their independent reading strategies and attitudes. Learning about Growth Mindset can be a powerful benefit for everyone!

The questions guiding my research is as follows: To what extent does having a growth mindset affect independent reading habits, skills, and attitudes for first grade students? How can I communicate growth mindset information with families? How can I create a safe and positive community where students will take risks in their learning? From my review of literature, I discovered strategies that I could implement in my teaching to create a positive learning environment that encourages a growth mindset, which led me to focus on specific areas of my teaching to change in order to reach my goals. These areas included: 1) understanding and teaching students and parents about growth mindset, 2) teaching students and families how our brains can stretch and grow with effort and perseverance, 3) building relationships with students and creating a safe learning community, 4) giving meaningful, specific feedback on student work using growth mindset language, and 5) teaching the importance of effort and stamina with independent reading. Following my review of literature, I began to plan how to implement growth mindset instruction, as well as teaching and practicing how to build stamina for independent reading. I brainstormed ways to build positive relationships and a safe community. I gathered and used resources such as books, videos, songs, and activities to teach about growth mindset. We began to practice building stamina for independent reading on the second day of school. I focused on building relationships with my students and planned more community building activities. Implementation of these things took place for ten weeks. I collected growth mindset data through a survey given each month, with the first survey given on the first day for my baseline. I gave the Wonders running record to get a baseline on their reading level on the second week of school, and I used this same tool in November to measure growth for students who were below grade level on their reading baseline. I also recorded notes in a journal on conversations and discussions that reflected changes in the mindsets of my students. As a result of my implementation, I observed many of my students using language that reflected growth mindset during the first week of school and in the weeks that followed. The surveys given showed an increase in growth mindset for almost all students. All students showed growth in reading, but because many are still below grade level, I will continue to help them build confidence in taking risks when decoding challenging words, and I will continue to teach the importance of effort and stamina for independent reading. Overall, I feel that my action research had a positive effect on the mindsets and learning of my students, and I am excited to continue implementing these things in my classroom.